sexual purity, abstinence, armed and virtuous

Glad you found us! This site has one objective: to help you win the spiritual battle for purity, in every sense of the word. Society encourages us to throw away our virtue; the message sent out by the media is: "everyone's doing it!" We are here to prove that statement wrong! Come in, read some encouraging testimonies, chat with others who strive to remain pure, and reaffirm your belief that purity, sexual and otherwise, is not only possible, but totally worth it!

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Recently, I promised to tell you why we needed a promotional video for Armed and Virtuous Ministries. Well, here at last is the reason:We're going to be on television!

Last Friday, I had the privilege of being a guest on the Emmy-nominated late night Christian talk show I'm Just Sayin' with Dan Willis on the Total Christian Television Network. Jason and I flew up on Thursday, taped the show on Friday, and then spent a little time enjoying ourselves on Saturday before returning to "real life."

At the airport, before flying out (Got the A&V shirt on!)﻿

Pastor Dan Willis, the host of the show, is also pastor of The Lighthouse Church of All Nations in Chicago. He founded this church at the age of sixteen and it has grown to 2,000 members! Today it is one of the nation's leading multicultural ministries with nearly 60 nationalities represented in its congregation. Pastor Dan is also an author and an incredible musician.

His co-host is DJ Pookie (yes, you read that correctly.) He and Pastor Dan joke and spar back and forth throughout the course of the show, making for a very lighthearted atmosphere. This definitely helped calm my nerves and keep me at ease. Everyone from the production crew to the host and co-host were kind, uplifting, had a very genuine love for the Lord, and a desire to be a blessing to us.

In the Green Room, just moments before taping the show

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We talked about Armed and Virtuous, what inspired this ministry, the message we convey, and what our vision is for the future. At the end of the show, I shared the song God gave me for Jason's and my wedding entitled The Keeper of My Heart. It was an amazing experience! Although we don't have an exact date yet, our episode is slated to air in April. When we get more detailed information, we'll be sure to pass it along. TCT is available on DirecTV, Sky Angel, or you can follow this link to find a carrier in your area.

Back in Houston. Why a cow in a space suit? I don't really know.

This is such a tremendous opportunity for our ministry! The TCT network reaches 170 nations all over the world! We are so very thankful to God for blessing us with this opportunity, and for all of you that have supported us over the last two years with your prayers, your likes and comments, both on our website and our facebook page, and through your donations.

Please continue to pray for us. We will be sharing at Crestwood Baptist beginning next Sunday and for the first time we will be introducing a boys-only curriculum: Armed and Valiant! My wonderful hubby will be leading the guys in their sessions.

Monday, March 26, 2012

We're back! Thanks for joining us. Over the past few days, God has been teaching me through the life of Joseph, and I feel compelled to share some of what I've learned with you. Although I've heard it all my life, lately God has been pointing out some aspects of Joseph's story that I'd never noticed before.

It's easy to chalk Joseph up to being someone exceptional, someone with the proper blood line, born at the proper time, and specially gifted, destined for greatness. What amazed me was just how normal Joseph really is. Upon closer examination, Joseph is pretty much exactly like you and me. "How?" you ask? I'll show you:

Joseph was one in a crowd of many: Joseph was not an only son, and he was not the oldest son. Back in his day, the oldest son was traditionally the recipient of the birthright and the blessing, as well as a double portion of his father's estate. Joseph was one of the youngest of Jacob's sons, and therefore not very high up within the structure of authority, at least according to his society. (Gen. 29:31-30:24)

Joseph came from a troubled family: Ever feel like you can't do anything important for God because of where you're from? Guess what, you're no different than Joseph. Jacob, Joseph's father, was married to two women, who happened to be sisters (sounds like trouble already!) They quarrelled among each other and fought for their husband's favor and the ability to conceive children. At one point, they both gave their maids to Jacob to father children on their behalf, bringing the total of "wives" to 4! As children were born of these various women, obviously struggles ensued over who was most important, who was most loved, and who would receive the greatest inheritance. Because Joseph was the first son of Jacob's favorite wife, he did receive an extra measure of his father's attention and favor. However, this obviously hurt his relationship with the other brothers. (Gen. 29:31-30:24, 35:16-21, 37:3-5)

Joseph had his strengths and weaknesses: Joseph was a dreamer. According to Genesis 37:5-11, God gave him two distinct dreams that foretold of his rise to power over his brothers. The dreaming part was good, but how he dealt with the dreams left much to be desired. Many people assume that he bragged about his dream to his brothers. Although that is not specifically mentioned in the Bible, it does say that he shared his dreams with them. This was, in the least, a lack of discretion. He could have no doubt that his brothers would react negatively to his dream. He should have kept it to himself, or shared it in secret with his father. Genesis 27:8 says that his brothers . . . hated him even more for his dreams and for his words. Finally, throughout his story, Joseph is described as being truthful, trustworthy, loyal, and a good leader and organizer. He possessed some admirable qualities, but he had his faults as well.

All this leads up to a tremendous turn of events that takes Joseph from the lowest to the highest of positions, all for God's plans and purposes. We'll continue Joseph's story next week, but the gist of today's "lesson" is that Joseph was not exceptional, he was just like us. He had his baggage, his list of excuses not to excel, but instead he accepted the dreams God placed upon his heart.

If you have dreams of doing mighty things for God's glory, don't allow your circumstances to weigh you down. The first step is to embrace the dream, trusting that the One who called you will equip you with all you need to succeed. God is famous for calling those who seem least worthy to do the most amazing things on His behalf!

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things (NIV).

Welcome back! Any time we hear about a great, uplifting, Christian movie coming out in theaters, we want to help get the word out as best we can. The movie experience we're sharing with you today is not only uplifting, but it's educational, relevant, and only available for a limited time.

I'm talking about the movie Monumental: In Search of America's National Treasure. Presented by NCM Fathom and Kirk Cameron, MONUMENTAL will be broadcast to nearly 550 select movie theaters across the country through NCM's exclusiveDigital Broadcast Network. This will be a one-night event on Tuesday, March 27, at 7:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. CT/5:30 p.m. MT/ 8:00 p.m. PT (tape delayed).

Here's what Kirk Cameron has to say about the movie:

"I am thrilled to be partnering with Fathom Events to bring this unique theatrical event to audiences across America, as families and groups from every community experience this powerful moment together. Over the past year and a half, I've traveled across the U.S. and Europe to discover the true national treasure of America. I wanted to find out who the people were that built this country- the heroic men and women who sacrificed everything to be free and give their children and their grandchildren freedom and prosperity. What I found is simply amazing."

Tickets are available now for this unique movie experience. They have made various discounts available for specific groups, so check and see if you qualify. If you go to the website and click on "press" you can see several interviews Kirk Cameron has given to various media outlets.

Lastly, here is the trailer for the movie. I can't wait to see it in theaters!

Monday, March 12, 2012

Normally we reserve Mondays for devotionals, but I wanted to give you a glimpse of what we've been working on "behind the scenes." My wonderful, talented husband put this video together to help promote the Armed and Virtuous ministry. I'm so proud of him and so proud of what he created!

Curious as to why we need a promotional video? I'll tell you in the next few weeks . . .

Monday, March 5, 2012

Proverbs 24:10 If you faint in the day of adversity, Your strength is small (NKJV).

Welcome back! I hope you're enjoying the beginning of a new season, or if not, that you're finding hope in the knowledge that spring is right around the corner. In my neck of the woods the sun is shining, it's pleasant to be outside, the trees are developing new leaves, and the azalea bushes are beginning to bloom.

Just as the world outside is experiencing new life and opportunities for growth, so is the Armed and Virtuous ministry! We've been blessed with new occasions to share the message of purity, both with girls and guys, as well as opportunities to discuss the ministry itself before a larger audience.

It's very exciting, but it requires a great deal of work. In fact, sometimes it seems like there is too much to do. That we don't have the strength needed to see it all to completion. Have you ever felt that way? Have you ever been in the midst of blessing, but found yourself frustrated with the growing process?

If that's you today, let me encourage you not to lose heart. Part of the growing process involves adversity. It's uncomfortable, but it's normal. In fact, that adversity is necessary to bring forth the next stage in your spiritual development. If you can't push your way through to the next level, how will you have the strength to handle what God has in store on the other side?

My grandfather, a man who has been a great source of strength throughout my life, was discussing this subject with me recently. Having grown up on a farm, he often has unique perspectives on things. As I was relating to him my woes, he summed my situation up in one beautiful analogy:

When a seed is planted in the soil and the first rain comes, the ground develops a hard crust on top. The seed incubates in the soil, developing roots and when the time comes, a new shoot pushes up through the soil to the light where it can then grow, bloom, and become all it's designed to be. It always amazed my grandfather that such a fragile, new shoot could possess the strength to break through that tough top layer of soil; and yet, year after year, these delicate plants somehow managed to overcome adversity to obtain the sunlight necessary to grow.

Has God placed dreams on your heart that seem too far to reach? Has He given you work to do, but now you've come to an impasse? As tempting as it is, try not to allow the obstacle to block your vision of what lies beyond. Instead, give the situation to God and commit yourself to trusting Him. Don't give up, and don't try to make things work in your own strength. He is the way, and until we know which direction to go, we should Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him...(Psalm 37:7a).

It's spring outside, and with God's help, it can be spring in our hearts. This week I'm encouraging you, as well as myself, to keep on pushing upward. Look beyond the obstacle to the One who placed the dream in your heart, and allow the work that He's begun in your heart to reach the surface.

About Me

My name is April M. Anderson, and I'm just a girl with a story. God laid a burden on my heart to pray for my husband when I was in the sixth grade. I prayed and waited for him for six years, dated him for three, and we've been married for 15 years. By God's grace, both my husband and I were virgins on our wedding day and we've been living out our "happily ever after" from that day on!